Tag Archives: women

Saturday 31 March 2018

Feminism is defined as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”. The broad spectrum of feminist ideologies (from radical, Marxist to liberal) have different expressions of this core belief, but they are all fighting to create an egalitarian society. Many branches of feminism also place emphasis on intersectionality, which considers… Read more

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Dear Michelle Obama, My name is Christine Anu. I come from humble beginnings in the Torres Strait Islands, located off the top of North Queensland, Australia. Growing up we survived on fish, mango and damper. We had no electricity or money and there was a housing shortage. Domestic violence was rife and there were… Read more

Friday 28 October 2016

Today I am meant to be continuing my series of essays centred on the contemporary female experience. I have sat down at my computer to engage in the daily battle: woman versus blank page. I can’t tell you how often the blank page wins or how sweet victory tastes when I do. Today seems a… Read more

Friday 28 October 2016

From its inception as a (widely panned) movie, through to the iconic TV show and comic book series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BTVS) has proven to be an ‘undying’ piece of pop culture. Celebrated for its punning protagonist Buffy Summers and her ‘Faith’-ful Scooby Gang, BTVS is canonical in its portrayal of female strength. In… Read more

Friday 21 October 2016

In 1967, literary critic Roland Barthes wrote in his seminal essay The Death of the Author that writing is the destruction of every voice, of every point of origin. Writing is that neutral, composite, oblique space where our subject slips away, the negative where all identity is lost, starting with the very identity of… Read more

Tuesday 18 October 2016

Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s The Love of a Bad Man begins with tenderness: ‘Baby, wake up,’ he says, and he’s kissing my eyelids, my cheeks, trailing his fingers over the bib of my nightgown and it’s so soft it must be a dream. Woolett’s short-story collection focuses on the lives of twelve women (or in the… Read more

Friday 30 September 2016

For some time now, women have been statistically underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This trend is particularly troubling, as STEM fields are aching for qualified workers. The cyber security industry, as an example, is a field that has grown to be particularly important in today’s technological age, yet a mere… Read more

Saturday 20 August 2016

“Good daughters hold their tongues, obey their elders and let their families determine their destiny. Rebellious daughters are just the opposite.” Rebellious Daughters is an anthology of essays by Australian female writers that explores rebellion, identity and the familial bond. Editors Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman have curated a challenging and important collection of pieces…. Read more

Friday 22 July 2016

Rebellion is a historical drama that puts women at the centre of the action. The five-part mini series premiered earlier this year, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, and is still available on Netflix for subscribers to binge-watch at their leisure. The series begins in 1914, with three… Read more

Tuesday 5 July 2016

This article contains spoilers for Season 4 of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, along with discussions of potentially upsetting content, including rape, torture and violence. Our favourite Litchfield inmates are back, with June 17 heralding the season four premiere of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. Season four is arguably the most enthralling, witty, and… Read more

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Advertising is an industry that is all too easy to dismiss as anti-woman. For decades now, the industry has grown while presenting women as objects to be consumed, all the while limiting opportunities for women who seek careers in the field. The television series Mad Men reinforced the unfortunate status of women in advertising, from… Read more

Monday 6 June 2016

Like many little girls, I grew up idolising Disney princesses. Ariel was my favourite; I never took her voicelessness too literally. When I was six years old I suggested my parents name my newborn brother ‘Prince Charming’. In my young eyes there could be nothing better. They went with ‘Liam’ instead. Once I was… Read more

Wednesday 18 May 2016

The newly created Tallulah Theatre in Melbourne is putting on its second show, Old Wives’ Tales, from the 18th-21st of May. The show features six pieces, which are directed by six different women who are working towards making a name for themselves in the theatre scene. I caught up with three of the directors, Jean… Read more

Friday 6 May 2016

Despite societal pressure to break down traditional gender roles, there’s a large chunk of the population that still disapproves of women drinking anything more than a moderate amount of alcohol. Of course, this is a ridiculous double standard, as men are free to drink to their hearts’ content – without fear of judgement. Regardless of… Read more